CRAZY HORSE
MOTOR Magazine Australia|May 2020
DICK JOHNSON AND ROB HERROD ONCE TEAMED UP TO BUILD THE DJR 320 FALCON – AND NOW THEY’RE BACK AT IT AGAIN
LOUIS CORDONY
CRAZY HORSE

I’VE ALWAYS LOVED SOMETHING that has plenty of grunt,” Dick Johnson tells MOTOR over the phone, perhaps stating the obvious. This is the man who in his late 40s called a 500kW-plus Ford Sierra Cosworth his office and, thanks to a turbocharger that woke like an exploding bomb, constantly drove it on opposite lock around places like Bathurst.

But that was on track, the place where he crafted his legend in Australian touring cars – and in the hearts of Ford fans. Right now, though, we have him talking about things off the circuit and, in particular, a special edition road car known as the Ford Mustang Dick Johnson Limited Edition.

Although his CV is short in this arena, it’s well known. Not fully able to get a couple of factory Falcon projects off the ground, Dick Johnson Racing went out and built its own BA Falconbased special edition back in 2004 known as the 320. Lauded for balance and refinement, it intended to lure the high-end HSV buyer, but in the end only 25 were made.

While hindsight might view that low production run as somewhat of a failure, today such exclusivity has been placed at the centre of the Mustang DJ LE (our abbreviation, not Johnson’s). “We thought initially we’d do 17,” Johnson says, referencing his famous race number, “but [we had] an opportunity to increase that to 30.” Buyers were signing up before they had so much as seen the car. Even at $180,000 each.

Why would anyone feel compelled to spend almost three times the price of a standard Mustang? Well, besides the rarity of road cars from the now 74-year-old Queensland racing legend, or his Supercars racing team’s recent domination with a Mustang, it might have something to do with the key players behind the project.

Esta historia es de la edición May 2020 de MOTOR Magazine Australia.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición May 2020 de MOTOR Magazine Australia.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE MOTOR MAGAZINE AUSTRALIAVer todo
Ged Bulmer
MOTOR Magazine Australia

Ged Bulmer

THE ACCOMPANYING YARN WAS A RIB TICKLER, BUT THE SUITS AT PORSCHE DIDN'T SEE IT THAT WAY

time-read
5 minutos  |
July 2022
Dylan Campbell
MOTOR Magazine Australia

Dylan Campbell

WE WERE LIVING THE DREAM. WE ALL WANTED TO WORK FOR MOTOR AS TEENAGERS

time-read
5 minutos  |
July 2022
HONDA NSX
MOTOR Magazine Australia

HONDA NSX

Honda's alloy missile - a friendly firecracker

time-read
8 minutos  |
July 2022
TESLA MODEL S
MOTOR Magazine Australia

TESLA MODEL S

Looking back on the automobile's iPhone moment | TESLA AIMS TO ELEVATE THE ELECTRIC CAR FROM INTRIGUING CURIOUSITY TO A VIABLE MEANS OF EVERYDAY TRANSPORT

time-read
5 minutos  |
July 2022
PORSCHE 959
MOTOR Magazine Australia

PORSCHE 959

Weissach rethinks the supercar

time-read
6 minutos  |
July 2022
PCOTY LEGENDS - 1996-2022
MOTOR Magazine Australia

PCOTY LEGENDS - 1996-2022

HOW THE ANNUAL QUEST FOR AUSTRALIA'S BEST PERFORMANCE CARS HAS DELIVERED A ROLL CALL OF EXCELLENCE

time-read
10+ minutos  |
July 2022
THE UNDEFEATED
MOTOR Magazine Australia

THE UNDEFEATED

HONDA'S FK8 CIVIC TYPE R IS OUR LINEAL CHAMP, WINNING EVERY MOTOR COMPARISON AS WELL AS BOTH PERFORMANCE CAR OF THE YEAR AND BANG FOR YOUR BUCKS. WE PAY OUR RESPECTS WITH A FINAL DRIVE IN THE END-OF-THE-LINE LE SPECIAL

time-read
6 minutos  |
July 2022
THESE ARE OUR PEOPLE
MOTOR Magazine Australia

THESE ARE OUR PEOPLE

IN A CULTURE OVERFLOWING WITH POSERS AND TRY-HARDS, WE FIND A HAVEN FOR THOSE THAT LOVE DRIVING ABOVE ALL ELSE

time-read
8 minutos  |
June 2022
OPEN WIDE, SAY R
MOTOR Magazine Australia

OPEN WIDE, SAY R

VOLKSWAGEN'S GOLF R LANDS IN AUSTRALIA AND IT ALREADY HAS THE SWAGGER OF A GIANTKILLER ABOUT IT. WE LINE UP SOME ASYMMETRIC ALTERNATIVES TO SEE IF THE GOLF HAS THEIR RESPECTIVE TALENTS COVERED

time-read
10+ minutos  |
June 2022
SING FOR YOUR DINNER
MOTOR Magazine Australia

SING FOR YOUR DINNER

As the motoring world undergoes seismic shifts in focus, Rob Dickinson's vision for Singer remains clear

time-read
3 minutos  |
June 2022